The Land of Elves and Fairies
by Aria Breuer
Summary: Andalis and Andalas have parted ways. While on their separate journeys, Andalis follows Melissa and Parker to the Land of Talking Animals, while Andalas goes with Frodo to the Land of Elves and Fairies. But will they be accepted? Or will their pasts continue to haunt them? Sequel to 'The Land of Hobbits and Dwarves'.
1. Separated Again

**Disclaimers:** I do not own _The Lord of the Rings_, _The Chronicles of Narnia_, and "Star Wars". They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, George Lucas, Bioware, and Disney. All other canon material belongs to their respected owners. All original material, including original locations and original characters, belongs to me, the authoress of this fanfiction story.

**Inspiration for Fanfic:** The medieval era throughout history, especially for the Land of Talking Animals, and any medieval films and television shows that are inspired by the medieval period, including Robin Hood and the Arthurian Legends. :)

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Welcome to the second part of my fanfiction mini-trilogy, _The Green Ring_, part of my Origin Series and my Long Series. :)

This time, we're taking two separate journeys: Andalis' journey throughout the Land of Talking Animals and Andalas' journey throughout the Land of Elves and Fairies. Frodo Baggins and Parker Dooley will be accompanying Andalis and Andalas on their separate journeys, same with Melissa Fickle, who is my other OFC.

Enjoy! :)

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Parker Dooley stood by the wooden railing outside the _Winding Stream_ Tavern, hardly minding the local travelers and village folks who stopped by the tavern for a drink, as well as some decent lodging. It was peaceful in the fishing village of Dokshaven, complete with its own docks, where boats traveled out to the harbor as well as to the island which stood in the near distance, before tall, wide, brownstone cliff faces.

Parker sighed, waiting for the moment when Frodo and the others were ready to continue their separate journeys throughout the second Seven Realms. He hoped that time would come soon, for however long it lasted.

.

Parker was a one hundred and twenty-year-old dragonoid with a tall, muscular frame, a lizard-like, humanoid body and a dragon-like head. His skin was smooth and scaly, with a light reddish color. He had a short snout with a tipped end pointed up towards the sky. His eyes were cat-like and yellow, but also had a certain weariness to them. His three-fingered frills, with black tips at their ends, rested along the sides of his head. He had long, red, furry ears and short, curvy, wavy grey horns. His black claws, which behaved like fingernails and toenails, were retracted, due to him not being in any battles recently. His black spikes ran from his back down to his medium-sized tail, which curled around his feet.

As Maranguan, Parker had red eyes with pinkish hues in the whites of his eyes that showed his evilness at the time of his transition to the Dark Side. He had bruises, burns, and long jagged cuts strewn across his body, tail, head, and face. As he became whole and good again, the bruises, burns, and cuts faded away. But there was a twist: as he became good again, his yellow irises returned, as did the whites in his eyes return to their normal color, but he also had swirling red mist in his yellow irises as a reminder of how he turned wicked.

Long after Parker became good again, on the night that Parker stayed with his great-grandson Terrence Dooley, Maranguan came to him that night as a spirit, warning him he couldn't keep him, Maranguan, contained forever. So, now it was only a matter of time before Maranguan was released again, wreaking havoc upon those who did not expect him to return to power.

.

Parker was tricked into becoming Maranguan by the Sith Emperor Vitiate, who betrayed him when he sent his minions to kill him on Korriban. Parker survived, but vowed revenge on Vitiate and lost. Still, Parker became whole and good again, thanks to his allies, including his human wife Eliza Bowler-Dooley, who died at the hands of Vitiate's Force Lightning after Parker had been stabbed by an icicle, which his daughter-in-law Anabeth and her mother Janet found on their journey throughout the Four Seasons to the Ice Queen's lair.

It worked and Parker became whole again, but Eliza lost her life that day, as did Janet, who died on the same day as Eliza. Parker had every reason to seek revenge on Vitiate, but missed his chance when the Sith Emperor was defeated by the Hero of Tython, who Parker met on his journey to help his best friend Qua'ra, a shapeshifter now turned scarred lioness, who went by the name of Scar-ra these days, escape the planet Zafna with her family of shapeshifters, before the planet turned from a lush, green planet to a barren, broken planet that the snow leopard Melisandre called Teremode.

Melisandre got her comeuppance, due to the mysterious nomadic group called the Shadow People, when they destroyed her kingdom Landseer in one day. Parker couldn't forget the Shadow People, nor how they helped the golden house cat Alindor restore his kingdom to the way it was and what it could become.

There was much to be grateful for. That much Parker felt sure would happen to Alindor's benefit. Now, Parker wondered what happened to Alindor's family and how his descendants were faring, if they knew Parker at all.

.

In Parker's human-hobbit form, Parker resembled the gentle-hobbit Frodo Baggins, Parker's brother-in-law Tobias, as well as Parker's descendants Terrence Dooley, Delphi, Dalpha, Andalis, and Andalas. In this human-hobbit form, Parker had bright blue eyes, pale skin, short pointy ears, fair elvish features, a cleft in his chin, and soft, thick, curly, dark brown hair on his head and the tops of his feet.

Today, Parker was donned in a white shirt, a blue waistcoat, a blue jacket, dark blue breeches, a silver utility belt which held his silver-beamed, silver-hilted lightsaber, and a royal blue cloak. His clothes often changed size and shape to fit him whenever he shapeshifted into another form. But then that was the way of all shapeshifters in this world and this Universe; at least, the worlds he knew. Parker's bloodline could shapeshift, thanks to Aslan granting his family this gift. So, the light red dragonoid didn't mind that his descendants learned this power.

Maybe someday, Frodo would learn how to shapeshift. Parker could hope that Frodo learned how to shapeshift, too. In the end, Parker would keep dreaming, until the day when Frodo would finally shapeshift into a royal blue dragonoid, as Parker predicted.

.

Nineteen years ago, Parker and Frodo stayed at the Chesapeake Manor for a short time. It was a manor that stood between the border of the Land of Talking Animals and the Land of Dragons. It was in this manor that bloodshed was done to all the guests there, except for Parker and Frodo who survived the merfolk attack, thanks to Aslan keeping them alive.

It was on the evening and early morning of the ball that the Chesapeake Manor's troubles stirred, for it was after the guests were killed that Delphi and Dalpha, Parker's descendants and Frodo's ancestors, were wed to two mermaid sisters, Seraphina, nicknamed Sera for short, and Mara, who in turn gave birth to their sons, Andalis—Delphi and Sera's son—and Andalas—Dalpha and Mara's son. Andalis and Andalas disappeared, leaving Sera and Mara devastated.

In the end, Sera and Mara killed Delphi and Dalpha either out of shame, self-pity over the sudden disappearances of their sons, or revenge as any mermaid would do to their lovers and sailors who dared cross their paths. Delphi and Dalpha were now spirits, but Parker and Frodo took their sons to the Land of Hobbits and Dwarves, raising the boys in separate areas for nineteen years—Parker watching over Andalis, really, since Andalis' foster parents hardly wanted the light red dragonoid near the lad—until the boys were ready to learn the truth about their mothers' bloodline and their mothers' pasts.

It was clear that Andalis and Andalas were ready to learn the truth, discovering they were, in fact, from royal blood of both their mothers' bloodlines as well as their fathers' bloodlines, thanks to Parker being Emperor of the Shadow Empire for a time.

Now, the only choice they had left was to take on these new journeys and hope they could create their own kingdoms in the realms of their choosing. But how far would Parker go before he knew it was time to move on with his own journey? How would Frodo fare knowing he would have to separate from Andalas one day, too? Only fate could decide where their next adventures lay.

.

Parker tapped on the stairs wooden railing a few times, before proceeding inside the _Winding Stream_ Tavern. His and the others' five minutes were up! Now, Parker only wanted to leave the fishing village Dokshaven as soon as possible.

When he entered the tavern, Parker found the large dining area occupied by a few travelers, who laughed and sang songs. He turned to Melissa—a young human woman with a thin frame, pale skin, and short brunette hair that ran down to her shoulders—as she hugged Andalas and Frodo, biding them farewell.

Melissa came to the second Seven Realms from our world in 1973. Melissa had since changed out of her traveler's clothing into a brown tunic, dark brown pants, black boots, a grey cloak, and a brown belt with a brass buckle attached to the leather belt. Frankly, Parker didn't mind that she changed into something similar to what everyone else was wearing in the second Seven Realms. If anything, it made her blend in a lot easier with the crowd, which was kind of what they wanted at the moment.

Melissa and Andalis met on the dragon Mandrake's island, making a connection right away and finding they fell madly in love. In Parker's eyes, the couple was as whole together as he was with his human wife Eliza. Oh, how he missed Eliza! His other half! He wanted more than anything to return to the Portal Realm to spend time with her.

Maybe once this part of his journey was done, he'd see her again. That is, if he could get out of the Land of Talking Animals' medieval period.

Parker looked up as the three hobbit men and Melissa joined him over by the front door. Parker looked at them all in wonder, spotting Andalis wearing something similar to what Melissa was wearing, with the exception of Andalis' clothing being in shades of green, while he wore a brown leather jacket to add to his earthen style of clothing. He nodded to them, waiting for their response.

"You ready?" Parker asked the three hobbits and the human woman, who nodded to him in return.

"Parker, what's going to happen to us? What is the Land of Talking Animals like?" Melissa asked, causing Andalis and Parker to laugh.

"You wish you knew ahead of time, didn't you?" Andalis asked Melissa, jokingly.

Melissa shrugged. "I'm only asking. Is that all right?"

"Okay," Andalis chuckled, turning to Parker, as the light red dragonoid opened the front door. Parker burst into laughter, as he returned to the stairway outside.

"You wish you knew what it was like over there, in the Land of Talking Animals," Parker pointed out.

"Come again?" Melissa asked, getting Andalis' attention.

"Well, let's hope we'll survive what's to come," Andalis joked.

"One can hope," Frodo said, joining the group outside, on the grey cobblestone street. He looked around in interest, as two portals opened up on either side of the docks. "What is that?" He looked at the light red dragonoid, spotting the portals and noticing one showed a lush green forest, while the other showed a plain countryside with light green grass and brown cliff walls, as well as mountains.

"That would be our destination," Parker said, pointing to the two portals. "All right. Frodo, Andalas, you'll take the forest portal. That should lead you to the Land of Elves and Fairies. Andalis, Melissa, and I will take the plain countryside portal, leading to the Land of Talking Animals. Don't worry. We won't be too far from the next stop in our journeys."

Andalis hugged Andalas, knowing they would be separated for a while. Melissa watched them, wondering how they would cope being apart again.

"Good luck," Andalas said, patting Andalis' arm.

"You too," Andalis said, backing away towards Melissa. He added, as Andalas neared the portal, "Don't get lost on your way through the portal."

"And if you see any mermaids, be careful!" Melissa warned Andalas, who nodded to her in return.

"I will. Take care, you two. Don't get into too much trouble, while we're gone. Frodo, shall we?" Andalas asked, speeding towards the forest portal and leaping through it, landing inside the lush green forest on the other side.

"I'd better keep an eye on him," Frodo said, heading towards the forest portal. Parker stopped him, shaking his hand.

"Hey, good luck, Frodo! We're splitting up again," Parker said, a bit teary eyed.

"Yeah," Frodo said, embracing the light red dragonoid. "I'll miss you." He released the light red dragonoid as Parker embraced him back, before making his way to the portal. "I'll see you soon!" He told Parker with caution.

"Hey, don't be a stranger out there, in the Land of Talking Animals! If anything, we'll need to explore the land more," Parker pointed out.

Frodo nodded to him. "I will. Good luck, Parker." He waved to Andalis and Melissa, who waved to him and grinned his way.

"And to you, Frodo," Parker said, watching the gentle-hobbit leave through the forest portal. He sighed, turning to Andalis and Melissa, telling them, "Shall we?"

Andalis nodded. Melissa did as well, watching the tall, light red dragonoid with candor. She was fascinated with dragonoids. Were all dragonoids this nice?

"We shall," Andalis said, pleased. He wrapped an arm around Melissa, protecting her from harm as they and Parker Dooley stepped through the plain countryside portal and left the Land of Hobbits and Dwarves behind.

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Thanks for reading. :)


	2. The Kingdom of Forsythia

The Land of Talking Animals… much had changed since the last time Parker entered this realm, if not since the time Alindor was king of the realm. Now, it was a realm that had only one kingdom, the Kingdom of Forsythia, along with the many villages and towns spread throughout the realm.

The Kingdom of Forsythia was built in the heart of the Land of Talking Animals, shortly after Alindor's wife, Ulmayá, a silver-streaked Oriental Cat with brown paws, proclaimed the kingdom's name be changed from Creadon to Forsythia. As such, the rule that Alindor placed upon the Forsythia and all the lands spread throughout the realm was that travelers from other realms, other worlds could visit the kingdom and its villages and towns, but they weren't allowed to stay there, not until Parker Dooley presented a new king to take the old king, a golden house cat with a white belly named Forstead's, place.

Forstead was a temporary king. A shapeshifter, too. Granted, he would keep Alindor's dying wish, but how was he to know when Parker would return with the new king? Would it be a talking animal? Or a human? Maybe a shapeshifter would allow all the other talking animals to change form, too? Would that keep the Land of Talking Animals meant for the talking animals only or other races, too?

Still, Forstead had his own rules and laws governing the Land of Talking Animals, but they didn't outweigh all the laws Alindor passed, keeping the land in peace for generations to come. Forstead looked up to Alindor, but at the same time he knew that when Parker Dooley came to the land with the new king in waiting, that his time as a ruler was up.

But would Forstead concede and give up the throne? Well, times were changing and he was growing older. Soon he would fade and die. Oh, Parker Dooley, hurry up! Forstead couldn't wait much longer for the light red dragonoid to come. He had to summon him, if he could. He looked out the window of his bed chamber, in which his bed was the size built for a house cat to sleep in, complete with its red covers.

At last, he spotted a dragonoid heading towards his castle. He jumped for joy, changing into his red robes and donning his golden crown. Now, everything was ready! But he couldn't wait to tell Parker what rules he set up for the people.

.

Parker entered the castle's marketplace alongside Andalis and Melissa. The marketplace was huge and in the entrance courtyard with its dark brown ground, stone benches, and lots of places for torches. There was even an apple tree growing near the gate, where the rhino soldiers kept watch of. He looked around in excitement, wondering about the new changes made to the castle.

"Come on. Surely Alindor left something for us to find here," Parker said, cautiously.

"Do you think these people followed him, Alindor?" Melissa asked, unsure who he was.

"Alindor was a great golden house cat. He ruled for much of the First Age," Andalis explained to her. "The talking animals looked up to him for support. He wouldn't just relinquish the throne to anybody. He made sure there was a temporary king, until a new one comes along and lives a good long life in this land, changing it again."

"Who would be foolhardy to do that?" Melissa asked, confused.

Andalis chuckled, smiling at her. "You're looking at him."

"You?" Melissa asked, confused.

"Yeah. Alindor's dying wish is that when Parker Dooley showed up, returning to the Land of Talking Animals, that he would bring the next king in line to the throne. Alindor's descendants are spread out throughout the Land of Talking Animals, but all but one have refused the crown," Andalis explained in detail. "Yeah. Lockslear, who looks like Alindor in every way, even his spunky, mischievous side never died in him, relinquished the crown to the cat Forstead, before disappearing off into the blue. He never wanted the throne. He could have, but he refused. He's the last one who could take the throne, but we'll never know.

"Hopefully, I will be a better ruler than Lockslear," Andalis stated.

"A cat giving up a throne, the kingship, everything? Who would do that?" Melissa asked, confused about the second Seven Realms' feudal system.

"Apparently Lockslear," Parker said, serious. "I've heard he's close to the Land of Unicorns. Maybe he'll take over, become their king, or come back. We don't know for sure."

"You have a strange history," Melissa said, sharply.

Andalis laughed. "You wish. I bet Frodo loves it here! I could see it in his eyes."

"I can't imagine why," Melissa said, absentmindedly.

Parker smirked, shaking his head in understanding. Melissa was the newcomer. She was only starting to understand the laws, rules, and the way everyone functioned in this world. People, creatures, and animals alike. If anyone was going to explain how things worked around here, then it was him and Andalis. Andalis more than him.

Parker was lucky that he learned so much about this realm and how he could help rebuild something that was nearly almost destroyed. Of course, the Land of Talking Animals was lucky to have Alindor and his laws. It was a smart move that Alindor made, waiting for him to come back to his realm.

Maybe now, things could get better for them all.

"Well, look who it is!" a golden house cat with a white belly and donned in red robes, as well as a golden crown with an assortment of jewels attached to his crown, climbed down the castle stairs. He made his way slowly towards Parker, rushing up to him, and embracing him. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's nice to see you, too, Forstead! How are things in this realm?" Parker asked, curtly.

"He's probably changed Alindor's laws," Andalis chuckled in amusement, hoping that wasn't the case.

"Oh, I didn't change all of them. In fact, I only added a few temporary laws until you change them, Andalis. You are the new king of our realm," Forstead said with a smile. He added, "Maybe you don't see it, but we keep things equal around here. Like the Land of Dragons, everyone's welcomed in this realm, but only the outsiders are visitors here, dignitaries."

"Well, I intend to change that law," Andalis said at once.

"See, that's what I thought, too," Forstead said. "Lots of talking animals have objected to that law, same as the other realms in this world. The merfolk only wants to help us out. And so, with your birth, they seemed to have made sure that the Land of Talking Animals has part merfolk in line for the throne."

"So, this was planned?" Melissa asked, cautious now. She wasn't sure she should be a part of this conversation, but then she was with Andalis and held onto his hand for protection.

She had expected to fight someone or cause havoc. So far, none of that seemed to take place here. What was going on in this realm?

"You knew this would happen?" Andalis asked Forstead, cautious as well.

"Well, not likely, but your mother and your aunt were very decisive," Forstead admitted. "Also, we can't change Alindor's law now that it's almost finished, which brings us to the next conclusion. Will you accept the crown? Will you undo this law or change it so that other races may enter this realm?"

"What's the catch?" Andalis asked, worried.

"What would Frodo do?" Parker whispered to himself.

"Oh," Forstead got their attention, "there's no catch. But I want you to see the changes that we made here, since you were last here, Parker Dooley."

Parker hesitated. This was too easy! But then, if it was Alindor's dying wish that he brought Andalis here, then it seemed that the lad would take the crown, while he still could.

He smiled, telling Forstead, "Lead the way."

"Excellent!" Forstead said, leading Andalis, Melissa, and Parker throughout the castle and grounds. "Now the changes we made is that this kingdom is expanding and we need land. Farmland and learning centers. I know it isn't much, but I can assure you that when Forsythia's done, it will be a grand city! I can see it now!"

"Forstead, why are you telling us this now?" Parker asked, cautious.

Forstead looked up at the trio with concerned eyes. He coughed, collapsing on the ground, weakly. Several cats came over to tend to him, leaving Parker, Andalis, and Melissa in confusion.

Parker gulped, seeing the cat look at him with a smile, before speaking to Andalis in a weak voice, "Take care of them. Take care of my kingdom." He sighed, drawing his last breath. His eyes closed. He was dead.

The cats whispered amongst themselves. Parker wished that Frodo was with them. He'd know what to say and do! But Frodo wasn't here! Parker was on his own again. Same with the spirits, who did not make their presence known. What was he to do?

One snow leopard shook her head, leaving the other cats in disarray. She turned to the three travelers, telling them, "Forstead died of natural causes. It is not your fault."

"Won't some people, some animals, blame us for what happened? He was just fine minutes ago! He collapsed! It's all our faults!" Andalis cried, teary eyed.

The snow leopard shook her head. "No. It is not your fault. Don't blame yourself." She added, staring at Forstead's body as it was hauled away by the talking animals, "This was his last walk through the courtyard. Be grateful he got to see you three when he could." She told Andalis, calmly, "You are our king now. What will you do with your time here with us?"

Andalis looked at the courtyard. There were so many talking animals staring at him, waiting to see what he would do next. He couldn't possibly take care of all of them! Then again, being king was what he wanted. He already had a few things in mind, including starting up that school and college idea that he and Melissa had in mind.

He turned now to the snow leopard, telling her, "We change the name of this kingdom from Forsythia to Aster. It's my kingdom now. My realm. And I will do whatever it takes to protect you all and invite outsiders to this land, where they can stay and live alongside us. I will make this happen."

"Then the law is changed. Welcome to your new home," the snow leopard said, bowing before him, as did the other talking animals.

Andalis could hardly put into words what was going on. All he knew now was that he got what he wanted. He was King of the Land of Talking Animals and that was all that mattered.


	3. A Meeting with the Fairy Queen

The Land of Elves and Fairies was a forested area that spanned from the east to the west in the second Seven Realms. The Land of Elves and Fairies lay to the north of the lands, close to the arctic region, where it was always cold and filled with polar bears who roamed those lands looking for food and spirits.

These forested areas in the Land of Elves and Fairies made it habitable for all non-talking forest life that roamed free in this realm. However, all the non-talking animal game was reserved for the Elves to hunt and cook.

Their land remained as hidden as the Land of Unicorns. The only difference was this Elven land called out to those with a good ear and eyes that could see things beyond the everyday rustics of life itself. The forest changed with the seasons, bringing autumn colors—the browns, the yellows, the oranges, and the reds—to the forests, as well as snow and bare trees when winter comes. Only the pine trees and other trees that kept their needles year-round showed off their green colors around the wintertime, much like they did in the other realms in the second Seven Realms.

Frodo heard about the Land of Elves and Fairies after doing some research about it, during his time spent raising Andalas in the Dwarf Mines, back when they were in the Land of Hobbits and Dwarves. Frodo's love for the Elves, their lore, and their languages hadn't ceased since he left Middle-earth. No. In fact, it only grew more evident as time wore on, allowing him to see that hobbits and Elves were spread out throughout this Universe, as well as on many planets and galaxies combined.

It gave him more freedom to explore when he needed to, without feeling like he lost something from his home world. Now, more than ever, he wished he could stay in the second Seven Realms, become a part of this world, and go off on more adventures with Parker Dooley, the light red dragonoid who was his ancestor and now his true friend. He didn't know where he'd be without the dragonoid to guide him. Parker truly was a wise dragonoid, after years of torment that he went through, with the loss of his human wife Eliza to the Sith Emperor Vitiate.

Granted, Frodo hadn't been there the day that Parker witnessed the loss of his one true love, his soulmate. Would Parker ever be happy again? Frodo wondered that, even as he thought about his own fate.

Well, at least, he had Andalas to look after, as Aslan wanted him to do. What could make his life better? Well, the only thing he could do now was help Andalas with finding more information on his parents, as well as his aunt and his uncle. If they could achieve that, then Frodo felt sure they could do anything. He just hoped no merfolk stole Andalas away. If the merfolk did that, Frodo didn't know what he'd do. He just hoped for a miracle to come their way, if one ever came at all.

.

The second Andalas and Frodo entered the Land of Elves and Fairies via the forest portal, he stared in awe at his surroundings. This forest was so beautiful, so alive, and full of wonder. It must be elven magic at work here! Everywhere he looked, there were balls of bright light zipping past the trees, sometimes swirling around him and nearly making him float in the air. Frodo grabbed his arm, forcing Andalas back on the forest floor with a somber expression.

"What? Can't I have a little fun?" Andalas asked, curtly.

"I thought we were here to figure out your parents' history, as well as your aunt and your uncle's history," Frodo stated, reminding Andalas what they needed to do.

"You didn't want to come here to find out what happened to my parents, did you Frodo? You only came because you're interested in Elves," Andalas asked, seriously.

"It's not the only reason why I'm here," Frodo said, facing him. He paused, saying calmly, "I'm only came here to help you seek out information on your family tree. It has nothing to do with me!"

"Then why are you so curious about this realm?" Andalas asked him, concerned now. "You only came because you want to know more about these Elves and the Fairies. It's the only reason why you came with me! Well, I have to figure out my family history on my own! I didn't come here without a cause!"

Frodo looked around the forest in eagerness. Yes, his real mission was to learn more about the Elves… and the Fairies, if he ever met a fairy. That was just what he was interested in learning. Surely, Andalas understood that.

At last, Frodo spoke to his ancestor, Andalas, while being distracted by the forest's beauty, "Yes, I know you did." He faced Andalas, telling him, "We're on two separate journeys, you and I. I won't stop you from finding information on your parents, nor your aunt and your uncle. That's up to you to decide. That's your choice. But for me," he looked around the forest, lost in its wonder, "I only want to explore this realm. We can do both, you know, if you want that."

"No, that's fine," Andalas pointed out, choking back his words. "I came here for a reason. You do what you want here, but let me do what I set out to do!"

"Andalas, I'm not stopping you from learning more about your parents, or your aunt and your uncle. You go off and do that, but we need to stick together. I won't lose you. But we need to think about your cousin. He could be out there right now, waiting for us to meet up with him. Same with Parker Dooley and Melissa Fickle. Isn't that why you've come here?" Frodo asked, determined to start this quest.

"I still think you're only here for your love of Elves. Believe me, Frodo, it has _nothing_ to do with me," Andalas said, sharply.

Frodo nodded. He knew when he was defeated, but he wouldn't give up. That wasn't in his nature to give up. It was just who he was.

"You're right," Frodo conceded. "You're always right. So, where do we begin?"

"Well…" Andalas looked up and around, distracted by another figure. A taller figure who changed form from a small ball of light to a creature beyond anything he imagined. He looked at Frodo, who had the same confusion in his eyes, for the creature standing before them was donned in blue robes, as well as pointy ears that were longer than his and Frodo's short pointy ears.

It was a fairy. Andalas could tell from the way this fairy man had iridescent wings. If it was an Elf, Andalas would have thought better, wondering if Elves had wings, too, or not. Still, he had to check and see if it was a Fairy standing right before him and Frodo.

"Are you… are you a fairy?" Andalas asked the winged man, confused.

"I am," the robed fairy man said, seriously. "Queen Clarion will see you now." He waved his hand, revealing another portal, one showing them a tree with gold pixie dust falling down into a pixie dust pool. The falling pixie dust reminded Frodo of a waterfall. To his surprise, fairies flew around this golden pixie dust pool, waving and smiling at him.

How were they his size? It must have been fairy magic at work here. That explained how fairies were able to change sizes.

"Well, come on!" the robed fairy man said, flying straight through the portal. "Queen Clarion will see you both now! You don't want to be late!"

"Come on, Frodo. What harm could this do?" Andalas said, rushing towards the portal and climbing through it.

Frodo shook his head. This was the last thing he wanted to do, the last thing on his mind right now. Still, he approached the Pixie Hollow portal, climbing through it and entering the hollow in the tree where the pixie dust fell. To his surprise, he was about the size of a fairy, same as Andalas. He didn't have to change form. Not that he could, but he so longed to change form and shapeshift into another being, another creature.

He looked around in awe, spotting many different fairies in their different nature-looking outfits, staring down at him and Andalas from their dark brown tree branch perches. He looked up to see a fairy queen with brunette hair pinned up, pale skin, blue eyes, a golden dress that resembled pixie dust, golden wings, and fair features. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked at her. She certainly was beautiful.

Maybe he had a knack for finding beautiful elven creatures. Maybe that was where his heart lay. Still, the moment he locked eyes with this fairy queen, with her long pointy ears, she stroked his jaw, smiling at him in earnest.

"So, you're Frodo Baggins," the fairy queen said, calmly.

"Yes. And you are…" Frodo asked, intrigued.

The fairy queen chuckled behind her teeth. "I am Queen Clarion." She moved away from him, leaving Frodo entranced by her flowing movements as she flew gracefully around Pixie Hollow.

"I think someone has a crush," Andalas whispered to Frodo, who shushed him right away.

"I do not!" Frodo whispered back, not liking being called out for having a crush on… on Queen Clarion. He grinned sheepishly. Well, maybe he did have a crush on her. So what? He was fascinated with Elves and now Fairies, too. That couldn't have been a coincidence, could it?

"Welcome to Pixie Hollow!" Queen Clarion announced, getting Frodo and Andalas' attentions. "You are welcome to our realm anytime you wish. What questions do you have for us, Andalas?"

"Oh, me?" Andalas asked, pointing to himself, sheepishly. Queen Clarion nodded, leaving him confused. "Look," he started, telling the fairy queen, "I just want to find out if my parents, my aunt, and my uncle ever came to the Land of Elves and Fairies… and how they managed to obtain the Chesapeake Manor? Where they first met? Things like that."

Queen Clarion nodded, turning to the robed fairy man that Frodo and Andalas met out in the woods of the Land of Elves and Fairies. "The Minister of Spring will guide you on your path. Have no fear, young Andalas! Your journey is far from over."

"Yes, my queen!" The Minister of Spring declared, turning to Andalas and gesturing for him to follow. "I will help you out with this task. May it bring you good tidings, wherever that may be. Although," he shook his head, adding bluntly, "I fear what you are about to see may shock you."

"Wait. Frodo!" Andalas cried, watching Queen Clarion approach Frodo again. "Frodo, don't forget me!" The lad cried, as the Minister of Spring took him away.

"I'll be all right. Go!" Frodo called out, gesturing for Andalas to follow the Minister of Spring away from the hollow.

Frodo sighed. This was how it was meant to be, wasn't it? He turned to Queen Clarion, as she spoke to him again.

"And to you, Frodo Baggins," Queen Clarion said, getting his attention, "I know you have been longing to visit this land. Pixie Hollow does connect to the Land of Elves and Fairies. You may travel there and back to this realm whenever you wish. When you are ready to leave, I and my fellow fairies will find Andalas and bring him to you."

"Thank you," Frodo said, facing the land ahead, "but where do I begin?" He wondered how much time had passed and how Parker was doing with Andalis and Melissa.

*.*.*

**References:**

Queen Clarion and the Minister of Spring comes from the Disney Fairies' movies, "Tinker Bell".


	4. A Coronation and a Wedding

**Warning:** this chapter is rated M for a fade to black sex scene.

*.*.*

Andalis found himself donned in a regal red tunic with a gold crown sewn into the fabric, dark rose breeches, a leather belt with a golden buckle strapped to the belt, as well as a forest green cloak that also had the golden crown design sewn into the fabric. A round golden brooch was attached to the cloak, adding to the effect that this cloak was made for royalty, and Andalis was royalty.

True, he was born into it, due to his mother being from royalty and Parker Dooley being his ancestor emperor of the Shadow Empire temporarily, but Andalis knew the weight of responsibility now lay on his shoulders. Since he passed the law letting outsiders in to stay and live in the Land of Talking Animals a few hours ago, Andalis felt sure he could rule as king in the best way.

He wouldn't let down these peoples, not if his life depended on it. Of course, there was still that agreement he made with Melissa about beginning a school or schools in the Land of Talking Animals. Andalis felt sure the talking animals already had a school system intact, but he still approved of the idea of building a university or two in the Land of Talking Animals with Melissa.

It would give him something to look forward to as time wore on and he grew older. At least, that's what he hoped for.

He gasped at the sound of his bed chamber door opening up, revealing a servant dressed in a white apron and a tan gown. The way she looked at him told him enough about her: she was interested in him and she was a human with black hair tied up in a bun. He smiled at her, nodding to her briefly as she spoke to him.

"The guests are ready. They're waiting for you in the throne room," the servant said, stating what he dreaded.

Andalis chuckled. He looked at her, telling her in a calm manner, "I'm coming." He stopped her before she left his room. "What's your name?"

"Merida," the servant said, pleased. "I'll see you soon." She walked down the hallway before he had the chance to speak further with her.

Andalis chuckled under his breath. "Well, so much for introductions." He sighed, leaving his bed chamber with his head held high. As he walked down the stone corridor, he caught a glimpse of Merida speaking with the other servants. He nodded, watching them as they opened the doors for him, allowing him to enter the throne room at long last.

.

The throne room was massive with its rectangular stone walls, a wide room with a long red rug serving as an aisle, and all the peoples, animals, and creatures gathered for this special occasion. Red banners hung in the air, depicting more golden crowns. Andalis whistled in amusement. There was so much red and gold here in this castle. Even the throne had red cushions with gold rope designs wrapped around them.

Well, if he needed to change the décor, he would do that.

He walked down the aisle, hardly expecting anyone to follow him. He stared in shock as the golden-brown Great Lion of Narnia, Aslan, walked beside him. Andalis looked away, grinning with satisfaction and hope. He turned his head towards his right, spotting Melissa and Parker standing in the front row. He nodded to them in recognition, grateful they were here.

Andalis understood why Melissa wasn't joining him. She wasn't from noble blood, but that didn't mean that he couldn't wed her, allowing her to become Queen of the Land of Talking Animals. That was his hope. He already spoke with Aslan about it. Now, it was just a matter of speaking to Melissa about marriage, too.

Andalis couldn't stop grinning, even as he and Aslan reached the stone platform at the end of the red rug aisle, where his wooden throne sat on top of the stone platform and in front of a set of red curtains. He smiled, admiring his throne and how he would now be sitting on it, declaring himself king of this realm, the Land of Talking Animals, at last! Well, it was a victory, one he would take to heart as soon as he stepped onto the platform and approached his throne.

The second he approached his throne, Andalis turned and faced his audience, while Aslan presented him before the crowd, Andalis' soon-to-be subjects. A beaver carried Andalis' golden crown on a green cushion as a faun wearing a green scarf joined the beaver.

Aslan spoke to Andalis' soon-to-be subjects, telling them as the faun placed the golden crown on Andalis, "To the Land of Talking Animals, I present to you King Andalis the Crafter." Andalis looked up, right as his crown was placed on his head by the faun. He sighed, taking a seat on the throne as Aslan looked at him with candor. The Great Lion spoke to him now. "May your time as ruler be long and prosperous, for you will have centuries to live. For this is my gift to you, Andalis, King of the Land of Talking Animals." Aslan faced the crowd, as they spoke in unison. "Long live the king! Long live King Andalis!"

Andalis smiled, glad that was over. He looked at his subjects, clapping and cheering him on. It was a peaceful time in the Land of Talking Animals. At least it was in this part of the realm. For now, anyway.

He turned to Melissa as he stood up and walked away from his throne. She was so beautiful! All he needed to do was talk to her, tell her that he wanted to marry her! Would she accept? He certainly hoped so!

Oh, his heart pounded in his chest. He approached her now, hesitant and stumbling over his own words. "Melissa, how—how are you?"

"I'm doing well," Melissa said, watching as the throne room was turned into a party room, with a little help from Aslan. Melissa looked at Andalis, wondering, "Do you think Aslan allows this? I mean, turning this throne room into a party room… it's extraordinary!"

Andalis gulped. "Would you marry me?"

Melissa stared at him in shock. This was the last thing she expected from him. Still, Andalis looked at her with puppy dog eyes. He really was desperate to be with her. He wanted her! He wanted to protect her! What did they have to lose?

"I'm asking you if you wanted to marry me," Andalis said, pulling out a gold ring from his pocket. He'd been saving this ring for a while, ever since he bought it in the marketplace a few hours ago. He looked up at the sky, noticing it was still daylight out, not yet noon, and yet he was so eager to be with her, for her to be his wife and he her husband. "I know this is sudden, but I figured why wait another minute or two? I asked Aslan, shortly after Forstead's death, about us marrying. He agreed, telling the smithy to fashion another crown, a circlet, especially for you and wedding rings, too. He agreed and the smithy got to work, as did the other blacksmiths around this castle." He looked at her, curiously. "What do you say? Will you marry me?"

There was a moment's pause. Andalis caught Melissa's gaze as a second wooden throne with red cushions was placed next to Andalis' throne to its right. Andalis looked at her with fond eyes, knowing he had asked the right people, including Aslan to do the honors of marrying him and Melissa, should she say "yes". He received no answer from her for a moment or two, leaving Andalis hesitant and confused.

Did she want to marry him or not?

"Of course. Yes," Melissa nodded, as Andalis put the gold ring on her right ring finger, kissing her on the lips with satisfaction. They released, leaving Melissa entranced.

"Let's go tell Aslan," Andalis said, taking Melissa's hand as they approached the golden-brown Great Lion.

.

Parker stood off to the side, witnessing Aslan turn the throne room into a wedding hall with a roar and a scratching of his claws. The Great Lion was powerful. Indeed, Parker didn't want to upset him, but he knew that in time he would have to trust Aslan, if he wanted to know where his next journey would take him.

He sighed, wondering if Eliza was here and if she could speak to him again. He turned his gaze down at Melissa, meeting her green eyes. They reminded him of Eliza. Was Eliza in this form, too?

"Melissa," Parker said, snapping out of his reverie.

"Parker, are you all right?" Melissa asked, confused.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Parker said, trying to calm down.

"I was wondering if you would give me away. I don't have family in this realm or this world, so I thought why don't you do the honors?" Melissa sighed. "Andalis and Aslan have thought of everything, it seems."

"Well, Andalis did say he was eager to marry you, before something else happened. He just wants what is best for you," Parker said, explaining to her a moment later, "I helped raise Andalis. He's a good man. He'll take care of you. And I hope you do the same for him."

"Why?" Melissa asked, confused. She recovered. "I mean, of course I will. I've just been on my own in more than one way for a while now. Do you think we'll be happy, Andalis and I?"

"I believe you will," Parker said with a smile. He sighed, remembering the vision he had and the one Aslan told him about. "I saw you and Andalis will have many years together. You'll both be happy."

"But…"

"Just live, Melissa. That's all you can do right now is live. You'll raise a good family, have many descendants. You won't leave this world unless you have to, but then the gateway to Earth is opened. Just another connection between this Universe and yours," Parker said, bluntly.

"So, nothing bad will happen between me and Andalis?" Melissa asked, checking to make sure.

"No. You should be fine. You'll live a long happy life with him. Many things will change in this realm, with you at its helm." Parker sighed. "Don't worry, Melissa, you have nothing to worry about."

"And yet, you have something on your mind. What is it?" Melissa asked, concerned.

"Let's just say it has more to do with Andalis than it does with you, but someone has to keep watch of this castle, while Andalis deals with his cousin," Parker said, extending his arm to her. He looked at Melissa, wondering if she was all right. She lowered her head in shame, letting him know, even as she took his arm and walked her down the aisle with him, that she was concerned. Parker stated his reasons. "Don't worry. Unless you want to join Andalis on his mission, I won't stop you. But it will be dangerous."

"How do you know?" Melissa asked, cautious.

"Because I have the gift of foresight, like so many of my descendants. Such is the way of things," Parker said, watching as he and Melissa reached Andalis and Aslan. Parker patted Melissa's hand, releasing her so she could be with Andalis once more.

.

Andalis kissed Melissa's hand as they approached Aslan. Andalis understood Melissa didn't know the traditions of this world. He couldn't blame her. She was a newcomer here, but would soon be joined with him.

"You may say your vows. Then the crown will be bestowed upon Melissa and the wedding rings will be passed to you both," Aslan said, calmly.

Andalis turned to Melissa, telling her, "Melissa, ever since you saw me, watched me that day, not a day has gone by when I wondered what it would be like if we were wed. That's beside the point! Anyway, somehow, I've always known we would be wed. We were meant to be together. That's all there is to it. This is not just happening for no reason. It's the way things are. I just want us to be together before something else happens to us. That's all I need, to be your husband and your support. And if, in the end, we're parted, just know that we will be reunited again."

"Andalis," Melissa said, her heart pounding, "ever since we met, my life has changed in a lot of ways and so fast. I thought my life would be the same before I came to the First World Renaissance Faire. That is, until I met you. Now, and my feelings for you have not changed, I still want to be the rock in your life, someone you can count on when times are hardest. I will do my best to be your wife and lover, supporter and just being there for you. I love you, Andalis. I love you with all my heart."

"And I love you," Andalis stated with an affectionate smile.

Melissa and Andalis turned to Aslan, who nodded to the same faun to crown Melissa. Melissa bowed her head as the gold circlet was presented to her. The faun placed the circlet on her head, letting her know that she was officially the Queen of the Land of Talking Animals. Melissa smiled as the faun nodded and walked away.

Andalis smiled as well, grateful this part of the wedding ceremony-coronation ceremony for Melissa was almost over. He turned and watched as a ring-bearer passed to him and Melissa their wedding rings. Andalis gulped, placing the gold band on Melissa's right ring finger, while Melissa placed the second gold band on Andalis' right ring finger. The happy couple turned to Aslan as he spoke to them again.

"And with that, I pronounce you man and wife," Aslan said, facing Andalis again. "Andalis, you may now kiss your bride."

Andalis chuckled, approaching Melissa and kissing her on the lips. It was over. Andalis and Melissa were wed.

.

The coronation party-wedding reception continued as planned. Andalis and Melissa danced a few dances, before retreating to Andalis' chambers, now Melissa's, too. Melissa was grateful when they reached their chambers, with Andalis lifting her off the stone floor and carrying her inside his bed chamber.

Melissa sighed in relief upon seeing the king-sized four-poster bed with its red covers and dark oak posts, as well as a sitting room on the other side of the room. She looked at Andalis as he closed the door, before proceeding to kiss her and carry her to the bed.

She sighed as Andalis massaged her waist, causing her to moan in excitement. She moved her hand towards his red tunic, as he kissed her on her collarbone, leaving her feeling breathless. He grabbed her thigh, delighting in her moans, wanting her more. He worked his way up the side of his neck, nibbling her skin and claiming her for himself.

It was this afternoon that Melissa and Andalis enjoyed each other's company, finding this to be one of the happiest days of their lives.

.

Melissa slept soundlessly in hers and Andalis' bed, smiling as she felt her newlywedded husband's arms wrapped around her and his bare chest pressed against her back. She opened her eyes, gazing at the window momentarily. The sun was almost set in the sky. She turned around, facing Andalis and kissing his neck.

Andalis' eyes opened, causing him to wrap his arms tighter around her, comforting her, and giving her some much needed warmth.

"I love you," Melissa whispered in his ear.

"I love you," Andalis said, smiling as he kissed her cheek and neck a few times, before falling asleep again.

Melissa sighed, wondering how she was going to get away from him now. She also wondered then if they would accomplish what they set out here to do. Her school idea had not yet started. If it was a success, then all was well. If it wasn't, then she didn't know what to do.

Now that she was with Andalis, maybe things would be better. She hoped it anyway.

.

Early the next morning, after Andalis and Melissa changed and got ready for the day, they made their way down to the dining hall, a long rectangular stone walled room with long dark oak tables and benches, as well as torches and fireplaces set along the walls. A wide window stood at the end of the hallway, giving some much-needed light to the room.

While they ate their breakfast with Parker sitting next to them, grinning at them, Andalis noticed a couple of people bring a writing desk into the hall. Before him was a law about to be written, something that needed to be settled today. As Andalis and Melissa's subjects walked in and out of the room, eating their morning meal and resuming their tasks outside the dining hall, Andalis and Melissa's attention turned to the lawmakers standing behind them.

"What law do you wish to make?" the lawmaker, a man with greying hair and wearing red robes, asked.

"Well, Andalis and I were planning on building a school. More than one school actually, if that is what Andalis wishes," Melissa stated, looking at her newlywedded husband, curiously.

Andalis smiled, telling the lawmaker, "Yes. It was Melissa's idea and I accept it. We'll build this university, and then secondary schools for the children and teenagers. Everyone can study there. Anyone, whether they're animals, creatures, and peoples, it doesn't matter. It should be a place of learning." He nodded, looking around the room. "Yes, it should."

"Yes, my king," the lawmaker said, passing to Andalis a parchment that had the law written on it in ink.

Andalis smirked, signing the law and making it official. He turned to Melissa, who blushed at him. Parker stared at the pair in amusement. Whatever they were thinking, while exchanging glances at each other, Parker knew they were having a conversation and a good one.

"Makes me wonder how your cousin's doing and Frodo, too," Parker stated, turning to Melissa now. "You are part of this family now, Melissa, which means you get to listen to me, too."

"Great," Andalis said, embarrassed. "More advice."

"It's not that bad, Andalis," Parker said in disdain.

"I'm sorry. I'm joking, of course," Andalis said, massaging his forehead in agony.

Melissa chuckled, surprised to see Andalis and Parker bantering. She turned to Parker, asking him, "Yes, but where's Aslan?"

Parker shrugged. "I don't know. He left last night. Where he went, no one knows. Only he knows and we must trust him, as well as his words. He'll return. Don't worry."

"Right," Melissa said, lowering her head in shame, before returning her gaze to Andalis.

Parker sighed, wondering then how Andalas and Frodo were doing.


	5. A Family Affair

Frodo stared out the open window of Queen Clarion's house. He was grateful Queen Clarion offered him food and milk, which he appreciated immensely. He sighed, missing his larger size. Right now, he was the size of a fairy, which was fine with him. Maybe when he got back to the portal and returned to the Land of Elves and Fairies, he'd be his regular size.

He kept his arm rested on the wooden window sill, observing the rest of the house for himself. There was a dining table situated in the middle of the room, as well as a place to play a fairy's game of chess, a wardrobe for Queen Clarion's golden dresses, and a bed fit for a fairy queen.

Although Frodo was impressed with the house, he really missed being outdoors. Of course, he had no means of getting around, not without wings, which he didn't have since he didn't make his first shapeshift into a fairy. Frodo had been holding back on his shapeshifting abilities. Ever since he found Parker and told him he was his descendant, something he learned from Aslan or Parker a long time ago, Frodo's life practically changed for the better. Sure, it was confusing at first how his ancestor could be alive, around the same time period as he, but he came to accept it.

It sure beat him knowing that his family tree only extended so far back. Now, he had something he could look forward to… that is, if he figured out how to shapeshift. But didn't Aslan forbid him from shapeshifting, as it would screw up himself up in the future? Or did Aslan know something he didn't?

He looked up, finding himself face to face with the golden-brown Great Lion, who seemed to be about his size. How was Aslan able to get inside Queen Clarion's house remained to be seen? Frodo felt certain this meant that Aslan could change size whenever he liked, or so Frodo guessed from the way the Lion looked at him in admiration and wonder. Maybe he did know something the gentle-hobbit didn't, or so Frodo assumed was the case.

"Aslan," Frodo started, unsure what to say or do around the Great Lion, "what are you doing here?"

"I am here to help you shapeshift into any form you wish," Aslan said, approaching him with candor.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to shapeshift in the First and Second Ages," Frodo admitted, bluntly.

"You didn't in the First Age, but only met Parker Dooley briefly that time," Aslan said, sitting down. "Now, you need to start shapeshifting. No, it will not affect the timeline too badly, but it will be imprinted in your mind, for every time you remember what happened here and elsewhere in the previous Ages, you will know that you shapeshifted the first time." He added, calmly, "Worry not, young Frodo. I am giving you permission to shapeshift and I will be responsible for shifting the timeline around for future events. This is my doing, after all. You do wish to get out of here?"

"What about Andalas? Won't he be concerned I've shapeshifted?" Frodo asked, concerned about his ancestor finding out about his first time shapeshifting into another form.

"He has already been told," Queen Clarion said, re-entering her house. She gestured to Aslan, adding as she looked at Frodo, "Aslan told him himself what is about to happen here."

"He was a little shocked at first, but he came around," Aslan said, calmly.

Frodo stared in awe. Andalas already knew? Of course. That made sense.

Frodo admitted to the lad in the past that he had the ability to shapeshift, but he also said that he didn't know when Aslan would let him shapeshift. Now that this moment had come, how was he supposed to react when Andalas saw him for the first time with wings? Would Andalas freak out? Would he hate him?

Frodo hated if Andalas would hate him for the rest of his days. That would be the worst-case scenario! Still, Frodo needed to relax. Andalas would be all right.

"Come on, Frodo," Aslan said, getting the gentle-hobbit's attention. "It's time for you to fly!"

"How do I shapeshift?" Frodo asked, curiously.

Aslan sighed, facing him again. "Just close your eyes, focus on what you want to transform into, and you'll have it. To transform back, follow these instructions and you'll be fine."

Frodo exhaled, closing his eyes and allowing himself to clear his mind. One thought came to mind, him transforming into a fairy. He focused on that image, as his limbs became the right size and he sprouted iridescent wings. His clothes changed color, becoming green and brown. By the time he opened his eyes, he touched his ears. They grew longer, becoming fairy ears.

He did it! He was a fairy! He tested his wings, finding them difficult to get used to. Just as he lifted off the floor, he collapsed, landing square on his face in pain. He sat up, determined to try again. He sighed, thinking of his parents and having a wonderful conversation with them. He looked up, noticing he was off the floor. Only this time, he stayed up!

He chuckled, flying in circles around Queen Clarion and making her dizzy. Giddy with excitement, he nearly flew out of Queen Clarion's house, stopping upon seeing Aslan, wondering what he should do next.

"Go! Find Andalas. I shall meet up with you both, after you've found each other," Aslan said, right as Frodo nodded to him.

"Where shall I find him?" Frodo asked, concerned.

"Oh, he should be over by the sunflowers," Aslan said, giving Frodo a hint on where to go.

"Thank you. I will find him," Frodo said, flying out of Queen Clarion's house, and away from the tree where the Pixie Dust was stored. He looked back at Queen Clarion and Aslan, who were deep in conversation. Well, at least they had something to talk about, Frodo thought, as he continued his journey towards the sunflowers, hoping that Andalas was there.

If he wasn't, then Frodo was in trouble.

.

Andalas sat on the pollen inside one of the sunflowers. He spent a good twenty to thirty minutes napping in the sunflower, enjoying its fragrant smell and the feel of the soft pollen resting against his back. He didn't know the last time he slept so well. It must have been blissful being a fairy. He wished he could have more time in this realm, unlike the thought that he had to return to the Land of Elves and Fairies.

But he had yet to figure out his family history! Well, maybe if he went to the coastline, then he might find the answers he needed.

The Minister of Spring left him alone, but not without reminding him he could shapeshift into whatever form he wished, whenever he chose to explore the realm. Andalas took his advice to heart, transforming into a fairy with iridescent wings and his clothes changing colors, into shades of blue, instead of his typical clothing color choice.

At first, it was difficult to get off the ground. It took at least three or four times before he got the hang of flying. Well, he hadn't seen Frodo in all that time. It was an hour before noon. Andalas managed to eat some sweet and natural foods, as well as drinks, doing his best to keep himself from going mad.

Oh, where was Frodo? And why hadn't they left Pixie Hollow yet? Surely, there must have been a delay.

_DING!_

The sound jolted Andalas to a sitting position. Where was that bell sound coming from? It was so beautiful!

_Ding! DING!_

There it was again, calling out to him, beckoning for him to come and listen to its song. Andalas poked his head out of the sunflower, causing it to open up and pull back its petals. Andalas looked around, spotting a bright light shimmering in the near distance, amongst the sunflowers.

"Huh?" Andalas asked, confused. He darted off, sweeping across the sunflower field in search of the shimmering bright light. He flew for at least a couple of yards until he found the light moving towards the coastline. He glared, determined to reach the bright light and catch it, before it went away.

At last, he followed the light to the coastline, stopping by the white sandy beach with its green leafy plants and trees with their dark oak bark and bright green leaves. Andalas perched on a green leafy branch, observing the sea. He sighed, longing to go underwater and explore the sea.

Just the mere thought of heading out to the sea filled his every being. Oh, if only he knew what his parents were like and how they obtained the Chesapeake Manor. All he knew was his father and uncle owned the Chesapeake Manor. What was their backstory? How did they come to know Sera and Mara, the mermaids who killed them? Surely, there was a backstory for them, too.

His bright blue eyes caught a glimpse of the shimmering bright light again. He sighed, flying over to the shore, close to the water. He looked at himself, realizing he was so small. He closed his eyes, transforming back into a hobbit without the wings. All at once, he sprouted a smooth scaly blue tail in replace of his legs. His shirt was gone, leaving him with a pale bare chest. He looked back, spotting Frodo transform from a tiny fairy into his gentle-hobbit form, complete with a white shirt and dark brown breeches.

"Andalas, what are you doing?" Frodo asked, cautious.

"I have to go," Andalas said, diving into the sea.

"Andalas, wait! Andalas!" Frodo cried, collapsing on his knees before the shallow water, unable to find his ancestor. He looked up, right as Andalas hit the surface. All at once, he and Andalas were jolted back by a tear in the air. Before them was a series of images, displaying Delphi and Dalpha, Andalas' uncle and father respectively, when they were born.

The images showed a stone cottage by the sea, with a wooden rooftop and a flower bed sitting next to the house. Frodo stared at the images, watching the merfolk proceed towards the house, startling Delphi and Dalpha's parents. There was a young flaming red haired merman, carrying a golden triton. The look on the merman's face, as well as the golden crown on his head, showed he was a king, but a king to what kingdom?

"I am King of the Land of Merfolk and Sirens!" the merman king announced. He pointed to the two babes with his triton, "From this hour henceforth, Delphi and Dalpha will be known amongst the merfolk. The good merfolk, like me, will look after them, their children, their grandchildren, and many more descendants to come! But I must warn you that should the evil merfolk come along and try to claim them, they will have no say in the matter.

"That is my proclamation. Use it well for," the merman king said, diving into the sea a moment later with his merfolk kin.

The images changed to show Delphi and Dalpha in their young adult years. Delphi spent his days working in the Mill, chopping up wood with a saw, while Dalpha stayed close to the water. It was obvious from Delphi's expression and the way he went about his work, before picking up a book and turning to the page he was on, that he wanted nothing more than to do his job. He looked up at Dalpha, finding his younger brother could not work on anything right now.

"Come on, Dalpha! Anything's better than observing the sea! What's it going to do for you?" Delphi complained.

"Shh! I'm busy," Dalpha said, staring at the water. He looked on as a flaming red-haired mermaid and her silver-haired sister poked their heads out of the water. "Whoa!" Dalpha said in awe, moving back as the two mermaids changed form, becoming young human women. The silver-haired woman was donned in a silver dress, while the flaming red-haired woman was donned in a pink dress. Dalpha was entranced by the flaming red-haired woman, asking her in interest, "Who are you?"

The flaming red-haired woman stroked his jawline, telling him, "My name is Mara and you are safe with us."

"We are the good merfolk. My father warned us that if something went wrong, we might very quickly to turn against you," the silver-haired woman proclaimed. "My name is Sera or Seraphina. We won't hurt you. We come to deliver a message." She passed to Delphi a casing with a deed and keys inside.

"What's this?" Delphi asked, confused.

"The deed to the Chesapeake Manor. The manor used to belong to Aslan, before he passed it to the Elves, followed by the Merfolk. The manor belongs to Aslan. Only he can see its fate," Sera said in interest.

"What happens if you turn wicked?" Dalpha asked, getting Sera's attention.

Sera snarled, showing off her razor-sharp teeth. "Never underestimate a mermaid." She turned to Delphi, admitting, "Just so you know, if Parker Dooley returns with Frodo Baggins, we will be aggressive. Parker's the one who messed up the way things were at the Chesapeake Manor. He was the one who knocked Frodo out in the First Age and the merfolk are very upset about the shift in balance," she said, "Well, as long as Parker Dooley is part of your family, the Chesapeake Manor will not be safe for either of you or our children. One day, a choice must be made: either one of your sons stays on land, or the other son goes to sea. They will have that choice."

She paused. "I cannot prevent these events from happening. I only know is that your sons will choose either the land or the sea. We cannot change our bloodlines. I hope to wed one of you one day. It is fated that we will. Don't worry about Parker. We'll take care of him. Frodo must stay alive. That is the only part that concerns us."

"And should anything happen to our family, we will take care of that, too," Mara said.

"What happens if you land in an in-between world?" Dalpha asked, curiously.

"Oh, there's more than one way around it. Aslan cannot keep merfolk trapped in a realm between the living and the dead. We're either alive or we're dead," Mara said with a shrug.

"Remember those words and pray that anyone else hears this message, for your safety as well as ours," Sera said, making her statements clear.

The vision faded, the air returning to its natural state.

Frodo looked at the water, spotting Andalas staring at him in shock. What did he do?

"You lied to me," Andalas said, fuming. "You said that Sera and Mara were evil. Parker said that, too!"

"Parker and I said that Sera and Mara killed your father and your uncle. We had no idea what they were after. They certainly behaved evil," Frodo admitted, truthfully.

Andalas slapped the water's surface, frustrated. He hated the fact that no one was what they seemed! Was this true? Did Sera and Mara go into a frenzy back at the Chesapeake Manor? Is that why they killed his father and his uncle? Now, he wanted more than anything to meet up with his mother and his aunt. Maybe he could meet his grandfather, too, who was the King of the Land of Merfolk and Sirens.

Yes! That's what he would do! He would learn the truth from his grandfather and get this over with! Surely, nothing could go wrong! He turned towards the water, ready to dive in, when he heard Frodo speak, causing him to look back at him.

"Andalas, wait!" Frodo cried, getting the lad's attention. "I know I can't stop you. This isn't my fault. I didn't see or witness what Sera and Mara did to your father and your uncle."

Andalas gulped. He hated doing this, but he knew his path and Frodo's path were split. "I'm sorry, Frodo. I have to go." He chuckled, "But hey, all waters connect to all worlds, don't they?"

Frodo shrugged, smiling at him. "Yeah, they do." He said one last word to his ancestor, "Be careful. We'll meet up again someday!"

"Find Andalis, Melissa, and Parker. Tell them I went to the Land of Merfolk and Sirens!" Andalas vowed to the gentle-hobbit who raised him.

Frodo nodded in confirmation.

"Stay safe. I'll tell them where you've gone," Frodo said, curtly. Andalas nodded. This was for the best. At least, they were getting somewhere.

"Good luck. I'm going to miss you," Andalas said, retreating further out to sea.

"I'll miss you, too. Farewell," Frodo said, calmly, waving to him.

Andalas nodded, diving into the water at last, leaving Frodo collapsing on his knees in shock. They did it. They went their separate ways. There was only one thing left: head back to the tree and find a way back to the Land of Elves and Fairies, before something else happened to them.


	6. Building a University

Parker awoke from his nap, finding no one except himself in his bed chamber. It was an hour past noon and what food Parker managed to wolf down an hour ago left him satisfied. His eyes widened with terror as he tried to figure out the time and what to do next. He turned his head towards the windows, which were covered up with dark red rose curtains. He sighed in relief, wanting to go back to sleep while his senses were still drifting towards dreamland.

Parker sighed in exasperation. The moment he awoke from his nap, he found he was in his light red dragonoid form. Sweat beaded on his bare yellow, lizard-like, humanoid chest, soaking up on his dark brown breeches that he wore to bed, before taking his nap. A fresh, clean white tunic had been placed on his bed frame by the maids, who put it there before he went to sleep. He hardly expected to be in this form when he woke up, but it happened anyway. Of course, there were days when he awoke in his hobbit form and some days when he awoke in his dragonoid form. Maybe these were the two forms he was settling on. He needed to ask Aslan about the whole shapeshifter abilities and whether or not they settled with time.

He looked around the room, trying to remember where he was and what happened there. Hours ago, Andalis and Melissa had begun building preparations for their university and secondary schools. He wondered if that was still going on. He sighed, placing his smooth scaly light red hand on his forehead, trying to relax from the intense dream he had about his human wife Eliza and the cave they explored in Beleriand. Beleriand was gone now, having an entirely new name now: Middle-earth. The cave might not be there, unless he were to travel through time and see what he could find in the past.

And the woman in his dream, inside the cave, with her flowing silver hair and donned in a silver dress… she seemed familiar to him. No, it couldn't be Sera, the Scissors Lady who killed her husband after her child, Andalis, disappeared! And if it was, then he'd better find out for sure what she wanted. Then again, Parker wasn't without his own faults, too. He killed dragonoids in the past, dragonoids who were part of the evil dragonoid clan and yet weren't really evil. So, he killed innocent lives, too. It was no wonder he found Sera and Mara relatable in a dark, mysterious way.

History did have a way of repeating itself. He was starting to see that and how far history was willing to go to pay homage to past events, too. Could anything be safe these days?

He sighed, listening to the sounds of hammers pounding outside his window. The noise was a distraction, annoying him. He couldn't take it anymore! He got out of bed, proceeding towards his water basin to wash up, before changing into his white tunic and a fresh set of clean light brown breeches. It felt so good to be clean after that, but more when he went to the bathroom to do his business. That done, he left his bed chamber, proceeding down the corridor and down a flight of stairs into the foyer. When he came outside, he saw in the near distance from the castle a grand university being built by the talking animals, creatures, and peoples of the Land of Talking Animals. Even the ones with magic were willing to help out with building the university.

It was a group effort, if he said so himself.

He looked on, spotting Andalis and Melissa with blueprints for the university. They were speaking with one of the foremen, who was busy helping them build the university and secondary schools. Parker sighed, joining the new King and Queen of the Land of Talking Animals, as they looked up from their work and smiled at him.

"Parker," Andalis said, pleased to see him, "you're right on time. We need your help. We're dedicating a room for you and would like your input on the design."

"Yes," Melissa inquired, "we're giving a room to you, as well as another room to Frodo, should he come back. We'll keep it tidy. You've earned our respect and gratitude. But…" she looked around, somber, "don't you two ever have music?"

"Music?" Andalis asked, curiously. "Why yes, we have music. We have a fiddler and other traveling bands."

"There's also been an orchestra that travels throughout this land, too! At least, that's what I heard," Parker admitted.

Melissa groaned. "You two really need to catch up with the times. I mean, we have bands, but they're not like what you're thinking of."

"Oh really?" Andalis asked, intrigue.

Melissa glared at him, seriously. She looked at him and Parker, saying, "Come on. Let's bring in another portal and I can show you."

"Well," Andalis said with a smile, "I don't think you need to. Earth's portals have opened up already. Maybe you can show me and these people what kind of music you're talking about."

"I'll do you one better," Melissa said, taking Parker's grey device and pressing a button. An oval shaped portal opened up before them, leaving Melissa perplexed. She was still getting used to these kinds of television portals, which showed her a variety of music. She scrolled through the music, trying to see which ones she could play. "Let's see. What have we got here! Oh Queen, they're a new band… no, they've been around for… five years? I've been here for five years?" She asked, exasperated.

"Well, technically, you've been here for two days, right?" Parker asked, watching her nod. "Well, Aslan must have jumped you through time. There's no way you can go back now. How would anyone recognize you, let alone remember you?"

"Well, they would, but I'd probably be a ghost to them," Melissa said, nodding in understanding. She pulled up the track she wanted to play, surprised she was jumping ahead in time a bit. "Here it is! Let's play this one!" She pressed the button, causing the portal's stereos to blast the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" at the right volume for everyone to hear.

At first, Parker didn't know what to make of the song. He could relate. Was that possible?

"Melissa, I think you started another revolution," Andalis said, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean to," Melissa said, cautiously.

Parker huffed. How was it possible that his life could be all in one song, even if it was different? It made no sense. He looked around, wondering if anyone was working now or not. Everyone seemed confused, while some were interested and scared, too. Perhaps that was a good thing. He didn't know. He just wanted to get back to what he and his descendants were doing: building the university.

.

After the song ended, Parker faced Melissa and Andalis again. Melissa had brought up a massive rounded portal with grey mist swirling inside. The rim changed colors, behaving the way Melissa wanted it to behave. This confused Parker. He honestly hadn't seen a portal that size. Why was Melissa doing this? They needed to get back to work!

"Melissa, what are you doing?" Parker asked, cautious. "We have work to do."

"Does anyone want to watch a movie?" Melissa asked, curiously.

"We need to work on the university, not… what? What's a movie?" Parker asked her, confused.

Andalis chuckled. "Melissa showed me video clips of a school one time, while we were on the island. It was awesome!"

Parker was about to say something, but went against the idea. The last thing he wanted to do was insult his family, especially when Melissa wanted to show them something.

Melissa called to the workers, "Hey, does anyone want to watch a movie?"

"We've got our own portals to watch videos!" a female striped white tiger proclaimed, resuming her work with the other talking animals, peoples, and creatures. Of course, she looked rather astonished when some of the talking animals, peoples, and creatures joined in with Melissa and Andalis. The female striped white tiger admitted, loudly, "I'll be fine over here!"

"Well, you don't have to watch it!" Melissa called out in response.

"That's all right," the female white striped tiger said, resuming her work with a tan monkey, who was busy spilling juices on the table. "No, that's my milk!" the female white striped tiger cried out in terror.

"What movie are we watching?" Andalis asked his human wife, curiously. He brought over a few chairs for him, Melissa, and Parker, as the talking animals, peoples, and creatures did the same behind them. Andalis called out to Parker, who stood by the wooden table, where the blueprints were, "Hey Parker, come on! We'll return to work soon!"

Parker huffed, joining his descendants over to the front row. "Well, I don't know about this." He sat down, right as Eliza's comforting arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"It'll be fine," Eliza whispered in his ear, kissing his smooth, scaly light red cheek, nearly making her dragonoid husband moan, softly to himself.

"What movie are we going to see? What is a movie again?" Parker asked Melissa, cautious.

"There's this movie that came out a year ago, Earth time. It's called 'Star Wars'," Melissa said, finding the 1977 Star Wars movie on the portal and clicking on it.

Parker sat in silence with the rest of the crowd. At first, nothing happened. Just an opening message that said on the portal's black screen, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…"

_BANG!_

The sound of the cymbals and horns jolted Parker and everyone in a frightened state. Melissa let out a small screech, holding onto Andalis' arm for safe keeping. Clearly, she hadn't seen anything like this either. Parker looked at them momentarily, before reading the opening crawl.

This was unlike anything he had ever saw before. Shortly after the triumphant music faded, Parker and everyone gathered were welcomed with what looked like a sandy planet below the screen, a moon in the distance, space, and a small ship moving through space being chased by a larger ship. The light red dragonoid gasped at the sight of the massive starship. It just kept moving and moving, there was no stopping it!

Parker admitted he had seen ships in space before, even piloted his own ship in the Land of Hobbits and Dwarves, but it had been years since he visited the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Wait. This _was_ the Galaxy Far, Far Away! What happened? He applauded along with everyone else when the massive ship moved away from the camera. It was the most splendid thing he ever witnessed, but was even more impressed at the way the story moved along. It was incredible!

After the movie ended, over two hours later, Parker checked his device that Melissa handed to him. It was almost four o' clock and he still hadn't done what he set out to do. He looked around, seeing all the exhilarated faces everyone had in the kingdom. All around him, everyone else was either talking or watching the "Star Wars" movie on various portals, getting a kick out of the story, it's characters, and the locations in the film.

Parker shook his head, telling Melissa, "Melissa, you've really started something in this realm."

"It's going to be a more advanced society, isn't it?" Melissa asked, as they returned to the table with the university's blueprints. Andalis joined them, impressed.

"Well, it's obvious this realm is going to be more advanced than the other realms, unless the Land of Dragons does the same thing. I doubt the Land of Hobbits and Dwarves will approve of these new revolutions. I know the Lands of the Merfolk, Sirens, Elves, and Fairies won't approve, and the Centaurs are off in their own realm. But this land, the Land of Talking Animals, I can definitely see changing its old ways. I mean, we're already in a medieval period with speeders, but you've certainly brought something new to this world that everyone approves of…" Andalis looked on as some people were debating their reasons why movies and modern music entering the Land of Talking Animals was bad. Andalis smirked, adding bluntly, "…well, almost everyone."

"But you did start something, Melissa," Parker said, getting Andalis' human wife's attention. "Be grateful you did this for us."

"Aslan sent me here for a reason, didn't he?" Melissa asked Parker, curiously.

Parker chuckled. "Well, if coming here means starting new revolutions, then I think you did well." He sighed, recollecting his dream that he had during his nap. He couldn't wait any longer. He had to find that cave and head back at Middle-earth. "Well, I've got to get going. I'm heading to Middle-earth to find a cave, a cave that I dreamt about. If Sera's there, then I would like to speak with her."

"We can't trust her, Parker. She killed my father!" Andalis cried, defensively.

"But we still might need her help. We don't know where Frodo and Andalas are, and I think I should speak to her alone!" Parker said, trying to calm him.

"Parker, it's dangerous. We don't know what's out there anyway!" Melissa pointed out, worried about him.

"But still, I have to do this. I'll see you two later. Keep watch of the kingdom while I'm gone," Parker said, opening up a portal that led directly to the cave he saw in his dream.

"I will. Parker, be careful," Andalis said, holding Melissa's hand.

Parker nodded in return. "I will. I'll be back shortly." He said, walking towards the portal and disappearing through it.

.

Parker came out of the portal to a wide plain countryside. There were hills everywhere and a mountainous region with white snowy caps. Winter was coming to this land, with no end in sight. Parker shivered, spotting the cave not too far away from where he stood. He sighed, making his way towards the cave without further complaint.

Inside the cave, past the entrance tunnel, Parker discovered a curved stone walkway leading to the centermost part of the cave. There was a blue light shimmering down to a stone pedestal, where a hardbound book sat on the stone pedestal's surface, just waiting to be opened. Parker approached the book, nearly opening it when a loud stone crashed a near distance away. He coughed and sputtered the moment water splashed him in his face, causing him to spot a pool of water and a silver-haired woman wearing a grey tattered dress, staring back at him.

He glared at this woman, recognizing her, while preparing to unsheathe his lightsaber. The woman stopped him, demanding to speak with him.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," Sera said, cautioning him against using his weapon. She smiled, kindly. "Parker, you know we are both alike. You've killed several innocent lives, while I've only killed… well, several. In fact, how are the merfolk any different from you? We're a lot alike."

"That's probably why we should avoid listening to a mermaid's song, while out at sea," Parker inquired, bluntly. "So, we don't hit reefs and cause our ships to sink."

Sera looked at him, seriously, explaining bluntly, "Parker, you know I care about my son and my nephew. Andalas has already joined me and my sister, or rather we're all your descendants now, aren't we?"

"What do you want?" Parker asked her, cautious.

"Oh, no reason. It was all fated that Delphi and Dalpha came to the Chesapeake Manor. Mara and I gave them the deed and the keys to the manor. They're still at the Chesapeake Manor, should you decide to drop in for a visit," Sera smiled at him so ruthlessly. Parker wondered if she and Mara had the upper hand after all, or did Aslan have the upper hand? Was it all pre-ordained that Delphi and Dalpha were supposed to go the Chesapeake Manor?

Then why did Aslan save Andalis and Andalas that evening, when Sera and Mara killed their husbands when their sons disappeared?

"You knew this was supposed to happen. How?" Parker asked, astonished by her words, realizing they were true and he was right all along. Why then did he think of Sera as an enemy? Wasn't she his enemy? He stumbled across his own words, saying aloud, "Delphi and Dalpha were _supposed_ to die? WHY?"

"Shh! Calm down," Sera said in a soothing, motherly voice. "I know, it's a lot to take in. Mermaids don't get a say in what Aslan and the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea wants us to do. If they wanted us to kill someone, we do that. If they want to let someone live, we accept their wishes." She added, seriously, "You know, I could have had my merfolk kill you on that same evening Mara and I wedded Delphi and Dalpha, but Aslan pardoned you. He didn't pardon Delphi and Dalpha. Think about that."

She turned to the pool, but not before giving a final piece of advice. "Oh, and tell Andalis I love him, and I miss him. Mara and I will leave the in-between world soon. Aslan knew he cannot keep us locked in that realm forever. We're still alive. We didn't die or become spirits. It's a long story.

"Goodbye. May we meet again under better circumstances," Sera said, diving into the pool of water.

Parker stared at the water in confusion and bewilderment. Nothing made sense! Villains who he thought were villains were in the grey area or good, and the heroes may be twisted or in the grey area, too. What did that make them? Now it made sense, but how was he, Parker Dooley, any different from Sera and Mara, as well as the other merfolk that lived out in the Sea? This whole ordeal was making him question everything about himself and his family tree.

"What a bloody history I have!" He admitted, heading back towards the cave entrance. As soon as he was outside the cave, grateful to be away from any falling debris that protruded the cave's entrance, Parker opened the portal leading back to the Kingdom of Aster and the Land of Talking Animals. It was time to tell Andalis the truth about his mother and his aunt, even if the news wasn't good.


	7. Andalas and Rosetta

Sorry for the delay. This chapter took a couple of rewrites to get right. Hope everyone likes it! Enjoy! :)

*.*.*

Andalas descended towards the seabed, hoping to find some fish to eat, particularly salmon. Honestly, the sound of salmon parched his lips, making him hungry. He had to have a bite of salmon! It was as if his life depended on it!

It was all he had to do to keep his mind from spinning in circles. His mother and his aunt, respectively, being the ones charged to bring Delphi and Dalpha, his uncle and his father respectively, to the Chesapeake Manor, right to their dooms! Wasn't it enough for Andalas to at least have some memory of his father and his uncle? Couldn't he be spared from the pain of losing his father and his uncle?

And what of Andalis? He was out there still! Oh, maybe if he sent him a message, telling him to join him in the sea, where it was safe for them! Surely, he would understand!

Then there was Frodo, who was still a mystery. That gentle-hobbit survived the First Age and now the Second Age! And yet, he raised him, Andalas the Prince of the Land of Merfolk and Sirens! How did Frodo manage to do that without shifting events around, if they hadn't already been shifted? How did Frodo manage to get to this world in the first place?

It must have been Aslan's doing. Who else could lead Frodo down this path in the first place, let alone Andalis and Andalas' parents, who met their fates at the Chesapeake Manor? Whatever the charge, Andalas was glad to have met these fine people, when he still could.

"HELP!" a feminine voice drew him out of his train of thought. Someone was screaming out to him from somewhere in the seabed.

Wait a minute! He could hear her speak underwater! Could he do the same?

"Where are you?" Andalas called out, impressed that he could speak underwater, too.

"I'm over here! I can't get out!" the feminine beauty's voice reached out to him again, drawing him over to an anchor, from where this mermaid's voice came from. She had flaming red hair, pale skin, fair blue eyes and was donned in a red seashell mermaid bra. Her tail was smooth, scaly, and in a salmon color.

Suddenly, it all made sense to him—why he dreamt of eating salmon—but no, he mustn't think that now! He had to save her!

"Don't struggle! You'll make it worse!" Andalas said, using all his strength to push the anchor out of the way. It worked, but not without him using a sharp rock to cut the net's cords loose! The flaming red-haired mermaid swam out of the net, happy to be free.

He saved her! His first save! How did he ever manage to do that?

The flaming red-haired mermaid swam away from the net, so delighted to be out of there and happier to meet her savior. "Who are you?"

"I'm Andalas," Andalas said, kindly, "I'm the son of Mara and the prince of the Land of Merfolk and Sirens. At least, that's what I've heard and seen."

"You!" the flaming red-haired mermaid said, startled by him. "You're the famous Andalas everyone's talking about! News spread about your coming from the Land of Hobbits and Dwarves! I heartedly thought those rumors to be just rumors."

"Yes, that's the one," Andalas said with a light-hearted smile. "And may I trouble you for your name, lass?"

"It's Rosetta," Rosetta said with a warm smile. She gestured to the open ocean. "Would you like to swim? I'm sure we'll have much to talk about."

"Oh, that's fine. I was just leaving," Andalas said, swimming away from her.

Rosetta stared at him in shock, her grave expression boring into his skull. "And where do you think you'll go? This ocean's vast. It's connected to many realms and many worlds. You'll never find the exit on your own. Not without my help."

Andalas faced her, confused. "Excuse me, but who do you think you are?"

"I'm Rosetta, as I've said," Rosetta said, making her introduction known to him.

"Yes, I know that," Andalas said, hardly believing what he was hearing, "But still, who are you, telling me what to do? I'm a prince. It's what I'm destined to do."

"Oh really? Then I'm your mother's handmaiden. She chose me. Who do you think sent that tear in the air, when I landed, trapped underneath that net?" Rosetta asked, making her statements final.

"That was you?" Andalas asked, stunned and pointing to her.

"Yes, that was me! Why do you ask?" Rosetta asked in turn, snippy about it.

"Well…" Andalas turned around, right as a group of mermen soldiers, with various colorful tails, swam before him and Rosetta, their tritons at the ready, "…and who are you?"

"We're the Merfolk King's guard!" one the merman soldiers told him in angst. "You must come with us now, your majesty! Someone else wants your throne, when King Rupert passes!"

"He's our merfolk king," a second merman soldier pointed out.

"Ah! I didn't know," Andalas said, looking at Rosetta for comfort, where he expected to find some. There was hardly any in her eyes. A shame! He was expecting to find comfort in her. He supposed he was wrong.

"Then lead the way!" Rosetta told the mermen soldiers with full confidence. She looked at Andalas, asking him as a blue-rimmed portal opened up before their eyes. "You coming, my princeling?"

"It's Andalas, and I'll go where I like," Andalas said, nodding to the mermen soldiers, before darting through the portal, hardly knowing what he might find on the other side.

.

Frodo flew on, away from the coastline and back to Pixie Hollow's tree. It took him a few minutes before he gathered his wits, transforming back into a fairy and darting through Pixie Hollow, all while trying to brave what he just endured. Tears formed in his eyes, causing him to wipe them away. He mustn't cry, but it was so hard to do that when the only boy, his ancestor, that he helped raise, practically raised since Andalas was born, was off to sea doing who knows what!

A piece of Frodo was gone that day, lost to the sea, not knowing when he might get it back. The very thought of Andalas leaving him brought up thoughts about his own time in the past. Whatever his reason for coming to the past, all the way back to the First Age, seemed for naught. He hardly remembered the last time when he didn't know about Parker Dooley being his ancestor or that he had other ancestors spread out throughout the Ages, except for the Time of the First World and the Time Before the First Age, in which he did not take part in. What happened there? All he received from Parker was summaries. He kind of wanted to know for himself what went on in those first two Ages, if he would have his chance to do so.

At last, Frodo reached the tree and landed on the wooden platform, close to where the golden pixie dust flowed in a great waterfall down to its pool of pixie dust. Frodo looked down at the waterfall, wondering why there was so much pixie dust and what the fairies could be using it for. These were questions he couldn't answer, not without an explanation.

He looked up the second Aslan got his attention. Clearly, the golden-brown Lion knew he was here, as did Queen Clarion.

"Frodo, what is it?" Aslan asked, concerned.

"You tell me," Frodo said, seriously. He turned to the pixie dust waterfall, admitting, "Andalas is gone. He's joined his people. I did nothing."

"Frodo, it's not your fault," Aslan said, plainly. "There will come a time when Andalas will fully reunite with the merfolk. But it is not now."

"What do you mean?" Frodo asked, cautious.

"You need to go to the Land of Talking Animals," Aslan said, roaring as a golden-rimmed portal, showing a plain countryside with short green and yellow grass, as well as a castle and several buildings built in one area, built by magic and hard labor, were presented before them. "Now go!" He told Frodo, sharply, "Inform Parker Dooley about what has happened. I will meet you at the Land of Merfolk and Sirens."

"But—" Frodo was interrupted by Queen Clarion, who looked at him with great concern.

"Go! The Land of Talking Animals needs you," Queen Clarion said in understanding.

"I will come back," Frodo said, concerned. "I won't forget this place, these fields, or the fairies. I promise you."

Queen Clarion flew down to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I know. You've been such a good sport." She smiled, watching Frodo transform back into a hobbit. "Take care. May we meet again in another Age."

Frodo nodded to her, silently. He turned towards the portal, making his way through it. He sighed in relief when he was on the other side, where the castle was presented before him. Now, he just hoped Parker Dooley was in town and if he could have a meeting with him… that is, if he could find him.


	8. An Urgent Summons

This is the last chapter for this story. :')

*.*.*

Frodo wandered down the dirt road, hoping to meet up with Parker Dooley! Surely, the light red dragonoid could help him out with his dilemma. And besides, Aslan already told him he would meet up with them in the Land of Merfolk and Sirens.

That was their next destination: to find Andalas and see if he truly was the rightful heir to the throne at the Land of Merfolk and Sirens. At least, that was the plan.

Frodo looked up, watching the builders finish crafting their buildings. It was a craftsmanship he hardly expected to find out here. He must be right that this was the Land of Talking Animals… only now, there were peoples and creatures roaming the land, too. Did something happen? Didn't this land belong to the talking animals only?

Wait. Unless something happened for the land to belong to everyone now. That was the only thing that made sense here. Did Andalis and Melissa do something to this land to become the way it was? Was it Parker Dooley who did this? Is that why they were now allowed to roam free across this land, without the talking animals kicking them out of it in the first place?

It didn't make sense to him, but it was Frodo's best guess. For now, anyway.

.

Frodo wandered through the grassy green area, watching the builders finish the buildings they worked on. To his surprise, there were one story buildings in the near distance, which were almost finished. He shouldn't be here, but it seemed like no one was telling him to stay or go.

Well, he was glad. Why wouldn't he want to see what was going on near the castle?

He nodded, leaving the buildings and their workers to do their work. He was just about to enter the castle's marketplace when a portal opened up close to the wide dirt road. He looked at the buildings, hearing the strangest music he ever heard. What kind of instrument was that? It was loud and sounded like a string instrument, but… it was strange. Did something happen to this realm to cause everyone to play this strange music?

He jumped upon seeing Parker Dooley ram into him. They collided, nearly crashing onto the dirt road, as they tried to recover their footing.

"Parker…" Frodo said, shocked to see him. He asked, pointing to the buildings, "…what music is that?"

"It's rock! Isn't it cool?" Parker asked, all smiles.

"Cool?" Frodo asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"You've got a lot to learn," Parker said, leading the hobbit straight to the castle's marketplace.

Frodo gulped. For a second, he didn't want to annoy Parker with his tale of woes. Then he decided against it. It was better that he told the dragonoid what was going on with Andalas.

"Parker, did you hear about Sera and Mara? They planned it! They planned it all! Delphi and Dalpha are the innocent ones!" Frodo cried, beside himself with worry.

Parker shushed him. "Calm down. I know about Delphi, Dalpha, Sera, and Mara. We'll explain everything to Andalis and Melissa when we get to the throne room. They're king and queen now of the Land of Talking Animals. It's the reason why you see all sorts of peoples and creatures in this realm now."

"What did I miss?" Frodo asked, curiously. "And what are those buildings I just saw?"

"The main set of buildings are for the university. It was Melissa's idea. The other two buildings in the near distance are called secondary schools, for children and teenagers," Parker explained. "Andalis agreed, and now they have their own university and secondary schools. They've revolutionized this realm. It's impressive."

"Wow!" Frodo said, also impressed.

There was a pause. At first, Frodo thought about saying something else, but nearly went against it. After all, this was his realm now, too, and Parker's. It was part of his inheritance and Frodo didn't want to waste that. Not for a second.

"Well, come on," Parker said, getting the gentle-hobbit's attention. "We should talk with Andalis and Melissa about Sera, Mara, Delphi, and Dalpha."

"Right," Frodo said, calmly. "I should speak to you three about Andalas, too. He's out there. I'll explain the details when we get inside."

"Right. I can't wait to hear it!" Parker said, astonished his gentle-hobbit friend and descendant was right about Andalas. Where did that gentle-hobbit go?

.

The throne room went through a massive renovation, in which the stone walls were washed and clean, as were the windows, and new statues garnished the throne room, depicting important rulers from centuries and Ages past. Even Alindor, the golden house cat king's statue was present in the throne room, made out of white marble. Blue banners with gold crowns sewn into the fabric hung from the ceiling, while a blue and gold rug was sprawled out as an aisle.

It truly changed from what it once was before Andalis and Melissa made this renovation to their new castle. Now that it truly belonged to them, they decided on these renovations, as well as building the university and secondary schools. It was a feat in their last three or four days as rulers of the Land of Talking Animals.

.

When Frodo and Parker entered the throne room, they found Andalis and Melissa observing a table, filled with blueprints, with the carpenter who worked on the buildings and throne room present with them, discussing plans for other renovations. The second Andalis and Melissa looked up, they nodded to the carpenter, allowing the golden spotted leopard to return to his job.

"Frodo's back!" Melissa said, embracing the gentle-hobbit. Frodo chuckled. He hardly expected this re-introduction.

"Hullo," Frodo said, returning the embrace. "It's good to see you."

Melissa breathed deeply, releasing him with a warm-hearted smile. "Well, if I can't have one Frodo, at least I can have his lookalike for my husband." She shrugged. "It works."

"What is she talking about?" Frodo asked Andalis, confused.

"Well, Melissa and I have been discussing much about her realm, her world called Earth. She mentioned something about fangirls and that you should be cautious towards them. You never know when they might come and claim you," Andalis explained, warningly.

"Right," Frodo said with a shrug. "Well, there aren't any fangirls yet, except for one here who appreciates me." He raised his eyebrows at Melissa in understanding. Melissa laughed, giddy. This was clearly not what he had in mind when they first met. "Well, let's hope there aren't any fangirls around in the future."

"I don't know, Frodo. Times are changing," Parker admitted freely. "Your story's out on Earth, too. And now that the talking animals have access to portals as more than just getting from place to place, what with having videos and bringing books from Earth into our world, it might be more dangerous than you realize."

"Oh, I didn't mean to start so much revolutions! I'm sorry!" Melissa pleaded for forgiveness.

Parker laughed, calming her down. "There's no need. What's done is done! Now, we get to see the results of your actions here."

"Let's hope it's nothing too bad," Andalis said, facing Frodo and Parker in earnest. "But judging from your sad expressions, there's news you have to tell me about. Where's Andalas?"

Frodo's expression turned sadder the more he thought about the hobbit he raised, who was now a merman—a mer-hobbit, anyway. He explained the situation to Andalis and Melissa, as well as how Aslan planned on Andalis and Andalas' parents going to the Chesapeake Manor to face their fates.

Parker agreed, adding, "Yes, and I spoke with Sera not long ago. It appears she may not be as evil as we first thought her to be."

"What are you talking about?" Andalis asked, wary and confused.

"Well, she brought up my past about the evil dragonoid clan. They weren't really evil, and yet I was responsible for killing them. I killed those innocent lives, just as much as Sera and Mara, but who knows how many they've killed, just by their singing voices?" Parker said, asking for mercy.

"Well, merfolk are known for making sailors drown," Melissa added, hoping Andalis was all right. She asked Parker and Frodo, "Did Sera and Mara go into a frenzy? You can't trust merfolk when they go into frenzies. They'll kill anyone on sight. It's almost as bad as werewolves, who'll kill their family members if given the chance," she paused, "but not all of them are monsters, are they? Same with the dragons and dragonoids. What do we know about dragonoids anyway? Do they suffer the same fate as other mythological creatures?"

"Mythological in your world, but as real as anyone else in ours," Andalis pointed out. He gave it some thought, nodding in approval. "All right, then I will speak with my mother and my aunt. Maybe if we're lucky, I'll head over to the Chesapeake Manor and get this mess sorted out." He turned to Parker and Frodo, asking, "Where's Andalas? Where did he say he was heading?"

"To the Land of Merfolk and Sirens," Frodo exclaimed, softly. "He's bound to be there now."

Andalis nodded. "Then that's our next destination. We'll use the portal network to reach that coastline and find our way into Crystal City. If Andalas is there, then we must travel there now."

"Do you think Andalas will forgive us for what happened to his parents?" Parker asked, looking to Frodo for support. Frodo was also the only hobbit amongst them that raised Andalas.

Frodo shook his head. "I doubt he'll forgive us easily. He's already siding with his mother Mara."

Andalis nodded in return. "Then let's pray he doesn't try anything foolish. For all our sakes, we need to find him, before he does anything reckless."

Frodo nodded in agreement, knowing that no matter what happened, Andalas' journey was about to conclude.

.

Andalas swam out of the blue-rimmed portal, happy to be away from it. He looked back at Rosetta as she and the mermen soldiers, King Rupert's guards, made their way through the portal, too, before it vanished. Andalas swam around, hoping to find something interesting in these new waters. He turned his gaze up towards the surface, spotting a sparkling city that looked to be made from shimmering crystals, complete with rounded rooftops.

It was Crystal City. He was here.

*.*.*

That's it for the second part in my fanfiction mini-trilogy, _The Green Ring_, part of my Origin Series and my Long Series. :) Thanks goes to the following people who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this fanfic: IanAlphaAxel. Thanks everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to read this fanfic until the end. It is much appreciated. :)

This story had slow updates, due to me spending days at a time to almost a full month working on getting it posted. The reason I slowed down with the updates was because I wanted to bring in descriptions, get the flow going, and make sure the story slowed down enough to know what was going on in the story. Also, I nearly ended this mini-trilogy too quickly and I wanted to spread it out more, so we get more of what the characters were doing, canon and original.

The final part of this mini-trilogy, but not the end of my Origin Series, will focus on Andalas' journey in the Land of Merfolk and Sirens. Of course, Frodo, Parker, and Andalis will be there to cheer him on and see if Andalas will become the rightful king to the realm of the merfolk and sirens. So, there's a lot heading our way yet with this fanfic series! :)

I'll see everyone in the next part of the story. Bye! :)

~Aria Breuer


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